Tractor hitch for scrapers



Aug. 1 1925.

A. G. NEAVER ET AL TRACTOR HITCH FOR SCRAPERS Filed Dec. 9, 1924 &7/1/11 INVENTORS Analrew 6'. 5942301491 n Raga]: E- RMRSQI? BY QATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED STAT Es" rat-ear ANDREW G. WEAVER AND EALEH, E. RAWSON, OFSTOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

TRACTOR HITCH FOR SCRAPERfi.

Application filed December 9,19%.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW G. VVnAvnn and RALPH E. RAwsoN, citizens ofthe United States of America, residing at Stockton, county of SanJoaquin, State of Cali-- fornia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tractor Hitches for Scrapers and we do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to thecharacters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in means for controlling theoperation of scrapers,-and especially to a device for controlling ascraper of the well known Fresno type from the drivers seat of a tractorattachedto and hauling the scraper.

, The principal object of this invention is to provide a device of thischaracter by means of which the driver ofthetractor, without leaving hisseat, may manipulate the scraper to cause the same to load, carry,spread or dump without having to halt or back-up the tractor while sodoing.

Another object of the invention is to con struct a device for thepurpose in such a manner that it may be easily and quickly attached toany scraper of the above named type without making any changes oralterations thereto, and without the use of any tools,other than astandard monkey wrench, being necessary, since certain bolts, etc.,already provided on the scraper are used in attaching our devicethereto.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one. which will be exceedingly effective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear-by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of ref erence indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is aperspective outline of a tractor attached to a scraperprovided with our hitch and control means, the scraper being in loadingposition.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the scraper in carrying position. i

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevationof the same in a dumping position.

Referring now more particularly to the Serial No. 754,734.

characters of reference on the drawings, the scraper comprises a bowl 1having scraping blade2 and side plates-3. Side supports 4 having shoesor runners 1 are. secured to the platesfi by bolts 5 and projectupwardly and foiwvardly of the bowl when the latter is in its norinal orscraping position. Links 6 to which draft means are ordinarilyconnected, are detachably mounted on the in side of the plates 3. Thesepartsare standard in scrapers of the aforementionedtype and we do notalter the same in any way.

Our hitch and control attachment, applied to such standard structure,comprises rigid beams? pivoted at their rear ends on the links 6 andconverge to ajunction with each other at their forward ends, at whichends said beams are secured together in comiection with plates 8 to forma clevis for at tachment to the draw head 9 of a tractor 10.

Extending transversely of the. scraper a certain distance ahead of thesame is a shaft 11 which is turnably mounted in bearing boxes 12 fixedon the beams 7. Arms 13 extend radially from said shaft at the. endsthereof and are connected by links 14.- to the forward ends of rigidstraps 15 which extend forwardly from the side plates 3 substantially inalinem'ent with the lower portions of the supports 4. These straps arerigidly secured to the plates 3 by means of the adjacent bolts 5 of saidshoe supports a. The forward ends of the straps 15 terminate just behindthe normally vertical portion of the supports 4 so that when the shoeson said supports turn to ahorizontal position v to ride on the ground,the straps donot dig into the ground.

The arms 13 are so positioned that when the scraper is in its normal orscraping position, the outer ends of said arms and the 7 and at itsforward end is formed with a loop 18 orthe like to serve as a handle,and as a means for attaching. one end of a rope 1.9 to the lever. Thelever 17 is angularly adjustable on the arm 16 so as to enable thesetting of i ever relative to the arms 13 i to be altered to suitdifferent operating conditions.

In operation with the tractor hauling the scraper the lever 17 isallowed to raise somewhat, which causes the links 1% to be lowered. Thisin turn causes the blade 2 to bite into the ground, since the bowl withthe forward movement of the tractor swings on the pivotal connection ofthe beams 7 with the links 6 as an axis.

As soon as the blade engages the ground the operator reverses thedirection of pressure on the lever and maintains a clownwardly directedpressure thereon, since otherwise the forward movement of the tractorwould cause the scraper to dump.

To carry a load scraped the operator depresses the lever down about asfar as possible toward the beams 7, the links lat being then raised, andconsequently the blade also.

'The bowl of the scraper to the rear of the blade then of course rideson the ground, as shown in Fig. 2.

\Vhen a load is to be spread or dumped the operator releases theholding-down pressure on the lever, while maintaining control over thesame by means of the rope l9. lVith a continued forward movement of thetractor the bowl will rock forwardly, the arms 13 moving down and thelever 17 moving rearwardly until the scraper rides on the shoes at. Forspreading, the rear movement is restricted so that the space between theforward edge of the blade 2 and the ground is suitable for this purpose.For dumping the lever is allowed to move without restriction, since theusual adjustable cross-beam 21 on the members 4? will ultimately bearagainst the beams 7 to limit the rotation of the bowl.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hitch and control attachment for scrapers comprising a rigidstructure adapted to be pivotally mounted at its rear end onto the sidesof the scraper and at its forward end to be connected to a draft means,a lever mounted on said structure and arranged to be controlled from thedraft means, and means connected to the lever and adapted to be attachedto the scraper whereby the latter may be moved to and held in anyposition by pressure on said lever in a continuous direction and withthe forward movement of the scraper.

2. A hitch and control attachment for scrapers comprising a rigidstructure adapted to be pivotally mounted at its rear end onto the sidesof the scraper and at its forward end to be connected to a draft means,a transverse shaft j ournaled in a fixed position on said structure, alever extending from said shaft and controllable from the front of thescraper, arms projecting from the shaft in a plane at an angle to thatof the lever, and means adapted to be attached to the scraper andextending thence to the arms arranged to enable rotation of the scraperabout said rigid structure as induced by the forward movement of thescraper to be controlled at all positions through the medium of movementof the lever.

3. A hitch and control attachment for scrapers comprising a rigidstructure adapted to be pivotally mounted at its rear end onto the sidesof the scraper and at its forward end to be connected to a draft means,a transverse shaft journaled in a fixed position on said structure, alever extending from said shaft and controllable from the front of thescraper, arms projecting from the shaft in a plane at an angle to thatof the lever, rigid straps extending forwardly from and adapted to besecured to the sides of the scraper, and links between the outer ends ofthe straps and arms.

i. A structure as in claim 3, in which said links, when the scraper isin a normal scraping position, being substantially vertically disposedand the lever then projecting forwardly at an acute angle to a pointadjacent the front end of the rigid structure.

5. A hitch and control attachment for scrapers having side plates andshoe supports bolted thereon, and draft links connected thereto,comprising a rigid beam structure adapted at one end to be attached to adraftmeans, and at the other to be pivoted on said links, a transverseshaft journaled on said structure, a lever for controlling the rotationof said shaft, arms projecting radially from the shaft, rigid strapsprojecting forwardly from the side plates of the scraper and adapted tobe secured thereto by the adjacent bolts of the shoe-supports, and linksbetween the outer ends of said straps and arms.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures.

ANDREW G. WEAVER. RALPH E. RAVVSON.

